The Washington Commanders are looking to add wide receiver depth with latest workout?
The Washington Commanders are hoping to put rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in as good of a position as they can ahead of his first year in the NFL. With a receiver core that features Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson at the top, there’s potentially room to add another veteran.
And it sounds like that’s what they are attempting to do.
Per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Washington Commanders are bringing in veteran wide receiver Martavis Bryant for a workout. This will be the second workout for Bryant with the Commanders in months as they are seeking some depth at wide receiver.
The 32-year-old Bryant last played a snap in the NFL in 2018 with the Oakland Raiders. He was suspended in 2016 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy for the second-straight year, missing four games in 2015.
In December of 2018, Bryant was suspended indefinitely for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement. He then applied for reinstatement in 2019. During his time out of the league, Bryant played in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks. He also played in the Indoor Football League as well as the Fan Controlled League.
His latest stop included with the Vegas Vipers of the XFL where he played six games.
Last season, Bryant was signed to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad but did not appear in a single game for the team as they won the NFC East Division. He was released in 2024 and is now hoping to catch on in Washington potentially.
Do the Washington Commanders have a need for Martavis Bryant?
In his first three seasons, Bryant caught 126 passes for 1,917 and 17 touchdowns with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was productive in a good offense and provided some value. With the Raiders, he only caught 19 passes for 266 yards and 0 touchdowns, struggling to catch on with the team.
For the Washington Commanders, the depth behind both McLaurin and Dotson is questionable. They do have Dyami Brown, rookie Luke McCaffrey and veteran Byron Pringle, but there could be room to add more to that in the form of Bryant.
Going into training camp, Commanders.com’s Zach Selby wrote on the team’s situation at wide receiver and specifically WR4:
The top of the Washington Commanders’ wide receiver room is clearer than most of the roster. Terry McLaurin, who is coming off his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season, will be the undisputed No. 1 target, while Jahan Dotson has a firm hold on the No. 2 spot.
The rest of the position, however, is an open competition, and there will be 11 other receivers during training camp vying for a spot.
Well, technically there will be 10 players if you don’t include third-round pick Luke McCaffrey. General manager Adam Peters and his staff were excited about adding the quarterback-turned-receiver, both because of his family’s history and his own talents he put on display at Nebraska and Rice. He was a regular standout during OTAs and minicamp, establishing a rapport with Daniels and flaunting some impressive route running.
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That leads us to WR4, which is where the competition becomes more muddled. It’s a hodgepodge of players from the previous regime, undrafted free agents and newcomers. If we’re going by investments, then Olamide Zaccheaus could be considered the top candidate. Though he’s coming off a 164-yard season with the Eagles, where he was behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, his final season as a full-time starter with the Falcons led to 533 yards and three scores.
However, with his off-field issues, do the Washington Commanders want to take that risk with a young roster and a rookie quarterback?
It’s just a workout but let’s see what comes of it.
